AMOS 7

 TEXT TO REFLECT ON

Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent a message to Jeroboam king of Israel: “Amos is raising a conspiracy against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words. 11 For this is what Amos is saying:

“‘Jeroboam will die by the sword,

    and Israel will surely go into exile,

    away from their native land.’”

12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. 13 Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom.”

14 Amos answered Amaziah, “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. 15 But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ Amos 7:10-15

REFLECT

Amos was not a prophet. Nor did he come from a line of prophets. Rather, he was a shepherd and a farmer who tended sycamore fig trees. Yet when God called him, a Southerner, to prophesy against the Northern Kingdom, Amos did so and with sharp accuracy. History shows that Amos’ prophecies came to pass.

Because of his lack of credentials, neither the King nor the priests, nor the people took him seriously. Instead, he was barred from prophesizing in Israel. This was despite the fact that Amos had very accurately detailed the failings of the nation of Israel. 

Can we blame the king, the priests, or the people of Israel for not heeding Amos’ warnings? Afterall, he had neither pedigree, nor training, nor experience. His vocation as a shepherd had nothing to do with what he was doing – prophesizing. He had no credentials and presumably, no credibility. And he could very well have been one of many nut cases, or an opportunist eager to gain some notoriety. Why should anyone listen to him?

RELATE

In a busy and fast-paced world, we look for abbreviations and short-cuts to evaluate which of the myriad data to consider and which to discard. And one of the fastest and most convenient ways to do this is to glance at the credentials of the persons giving the information. If the person has certain relevant qualifications or experience, we take a bit more time to consider what they have said. Otherwise, we don’t even spare a second thought. This convenient (and lazy) way of assessing truth may work most of the time. But here’s a caveat: what if the person with no credentials nevertheless speaks of the wrong that we continue to commit. What if they, though unimportant in our eyes or in the eyes of the world, speak of things that have a ring of truth in what they say? Should we dismiss them and comfort ourselves that these warmings came from people with no credentials?

What works against this shortcut of assessing ‘truth’ by looking at the speakers’ credentials, is that God’s modus operandi is often to use unimportant people to speak important truths. This is how the Apostle Paul put it: “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.  But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;  God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,  so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” 1 Corinthians 1: 26-29. 

God chooses unimportant and seemingly unqualified persons to bring his messages to people. That’s his style. So when we hear a word that tells us that we are not treating others right, even if the word comes from someone with no credentials, maybe we should sit up and pay attention, lest like the Israelites in Amos’ day, we miss a sincere warning from God.

REST

Search me, O God, and know my heart today,

Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray;

See if there be some wicked way in me;

Cleanse me from every sin, and set me free.

From the Hymn “Search Me O God” by James E. Orr, 1936